Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Jul 20: A major fire broke out at the 12-storey Jawahar Bhawan government building in Lucknow's Hazratganj area on Monday morning, triggering a large-scale firefighting and evacuation operation.

The blaze erupted at around 10 am in the Treasury office on the fifth floor after government offices had opened for the day. Jawahar Bhawan houses several key government departments and is one of the city's principal administrative buildings.

On receiving information about the incident, authorities rushed several fire tenders to the spot. Firefighters launched an operation to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the building.

Lucknow Chief Fire Officer Ankush Mittal said the fire had been brought under control and all those inside the building were evacuated safely.

"There are no casualties. Everyone has been evacuated safely. The fire has been brought under control," Mittal said. Around 10 fire tenders remained at the spot to ensure the situation was fully under control.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Babloo Kumar confirmed that the fire originated in the Treasury office on the fifth floor of Jawahar Bhawan. He said the blaze had been completely extinguished and all occupants were safely evacuated in time.

No injuries or casualties have been reported. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, and further investigation is underway.